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Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 529 · 40 questions
TalentJR

Writer's tip (Show the actions): A telling sentence names the feeling: was sad, felt tired. A showing sentence describes actions, faces and bodies: tears, yawns, shaking knees. Pick the showing sentence that fits the right feeling.

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  1. 1.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  2. 2.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Priya could barely keep her eyes open at dinner.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) angry
  3. 3.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.”     (a) happy (b) scared (c) cold
  4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home.”     (a) scared (b) tired (c) sad
  5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is angry? (a) Arjun’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Arjun was angry. (c) Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  6. 6.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aisha is hungry? (a) Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Aisha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (c) Aisha was hungry.
  7. 7.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Tara threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) hungry (b) angry (c) sad
  8. 8.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Vihaan drummed his fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) tired (b) bored (c) angry
  9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s face turned red, and she clenched her fists.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  10. 10.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.”     (a) sad (b) hungry (c) angry
  11. 11.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is happy? (a) Aarav’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again. (b) Aarav was happy. (c) Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  12. 12.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is cold? (a) Rohan could barely keep his eyes open at dinner. (b) Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Rohan was cold.
  13. 13.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) scared (b) bored (c) happy
  14. 14.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Joseph sighed and flipped through the same comic again.”     (a) bored (b) sad (c) angry
  15. 15.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ananya folded her arms and glared at her brother.”     (a) happy (b) bored (c) angry
  16. 16.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) happy (b) cold (c) angry
  17. 17.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aryan hummed a tune and could not stop smiling.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) tired
  19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Neel folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Neel was tired.
  20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Kabir is bored? (a) Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard. (b) Kabir stamped his foot and slammed the door. (c) Kabir was bored.
  21. 21.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  22. 22.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Zoya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Zoya is bored? (a) A tear rolled slowly down Zoya’s cheek. (b) Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (c) Zoya was bored.
  24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Aarav rubbed his hands and blew on his fingers.”     (a) angry (b) bored (c) cold
  25. 25.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Priya’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.”     (a) showing (b) telling
  26. 26.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Fatima gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) hungry (b) happy (c) angry
  27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Neel is tired? (a) Neel was tired. (b) Neel laughed, clapped and twirled around the room. (c) Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Maria is scared? (a) Maria was scared. (b) Maria’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  29. 29.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Sneha felt very scared.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  30. 30.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kabir dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.”     (a) sad (b) tired (c) bored
  31. 31.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Arjun is hungry? (a) Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch. (b) Arjun was hungry. (c) Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  32. 32.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Manav threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!””     (a) scared (b) sad (c) angry
  33. 33.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is sad? (a) Aarav was sad. (b) Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Aarav sighed and flipped through the same comic again.
  34. 34.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Sahil folded his arms and glared at his brother.”     (a) bored (b) angry (c) hungry
  35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is angry? (a) Imran was angry. (b) Imran’s shoulders drooped as he walked slowly home. (c) Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  36. 36.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Kavya gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.”     (a) tired (b) hungry (c) angry
  37. 37.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is tired? (a) Pooja gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again. (c) Pooja was tired.
  38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja’s heart thumped, and she hid under the sheet.”     (a) scared (b) hungry (c) bored
  39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door.”     (a) telling (b) showing
  40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (c) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.

Answer key

  1. telling
  2. tired
  3. happy
  4. sad
  5. Arjun threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  6. Aisha gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping.
  7. angry
  8. bored
  9. showing
  10. hungry
  11. Aarav laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
  12. Rohan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.
  13. bored
  14. bored
  15. angry
  16. angry
  17. showing
  18. happy
  19. Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.
  20. Kabir kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
  21. showing
  22. showing
  23. Zoya drummed her fingers and stared at the clock.
  24. cold
  25. showing
  26. hungry
  27. Neel’s eyelids drooped, and he yawned again and again.
  28. Maria froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
  29. telling
  30. tired
  31. Arjun kept peeping into the kitchen for lunch.
  32. angry
  33. Tears filled Aarav’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
  34. angry
  35. Imran threw down the pencil and shouted, “Not fair!”
  36. hungry
  37. Pooja’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
  38. scared
  39. showing
  40. Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.

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